" Rootarii "

June 24, 2017 will be the beginning of a new Rotary year in Ethiopian calendar.

Before this transition, Rotary officials at all stages will properly and respectfully transfer the presidency to the next year.

Today's reflection is from my own journey — being elected as the 18th president of Addis Ababa Central Mella Rotary Club.

Re-telling the history of Rotary and the story of this article — something we should learn from everyday. When I step into this responsibility, I will end with my thoughts.

Rotary was founded by Paul P. Harris, an attorney, September 23, 1905, Chicago, visions of professionals to exchange ideas and develop the congregation.

The name "Rotary" derived from a meeting between four of its founding members: Pol Harris, Silvester Schiele gasoline trader, Engineer Gustave Loehr, and Tailor Hiram Shorey. Their first meeting took place in Loehr’s office, room 711 at the Chicago Unity Building.

What started as a small discussion group has grown into a global service organization. In 1910, the Rooter was expanded across Chicago, and in 1922 it became the International Roter. Today Rotary International makes a big move in over 200 countries with over 1.4 million members.

The Rotary Leadership is composed with the yearly President elected, supported by the 17-19 Board Members and the Senior Secretary of the Day. The world is divided into zones and districts — a total of 34 zones.

For example, Ethiopia is in Zone 22A and district 9212 with Eritrea, Kenya, and South Sudan.

Rotary membership starts with serving as club members, then chairman of the club, then club President, former state chairman, and district manager — all-one year leadership roles.

His goal is to develop leadership in all of us through service.

A great leader is the first one who learns to be a great follower. After saying all this about the Rotary case, I want to return to my presidency shortly.

When the club wasn't available — to be honest, I decided to quit. But at the end of a meeting that truly spoke to my heart, Rotary's "Beyond Self Service" I dedicate myself to this leadership journey.

Sunday, June 21, 2017 (June 29, 2025), more than 200 rotarians, rotaractors, and members of the Rotary family at the new ambulance building (Tebita, 1st floor) — joined us for a hand-on-hand dinner on a selection of locations and ideas.

Why can't it be in the Big Hotel? For two reasons:

1. As a social owner I believe people should not only appreciate the better results but also love the journey of impact. I wanted guests to see not only the finished product but also the progress.

2nd time. 2nd time I understand the misconceptions surrounding Rotary.

There is a wide belief in Ethiopia that Rotary is a club only for those who speak English. The Authority of Aasis is far from the public — including the community intended to serve. And the country with more than 130 million people like Ethiopia is still the reason to divide districts with small nations. But honestly, Roters are a collective of generous, valuable people — not just the old ones. A man who returns grace is like giving without expecting anything.

This is why Rotary's mission: "Self-Service" believes so deeply — that it is connected to a higher spiritual purpose. The Bible says that God created for his glory and for the benefit of others.

Thus, Rotary people aren't just people who gather at Kananen hotels — they're people who gather with full stomachs, even in places like infinity buildings.

During my presidency, including projects that impacted community, I worked to reinvent the public image of Rotary Ethiopia — from elite clubs to service movement and humility to people.

Thank you to all those who presented for leadership, and heartfelt thanks to our sponsors: Enat Bank, BGI Ethiopia, my friends Binyam and Artist Dawit Tsige.